


Saved

by ByTheDawn



Series: 300challenge [26]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-07
Updated: 2014-04-07
Packaged: 2018-01-18 12:58:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,878
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1429444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ByTheDawn/pseuds/ByTheDawn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Part of the #300Challenge, based off of the title prompt. When Emma gets badly injured, Regina has to face her feelings for the blonde.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Saved

The stabbing pain in Regina’s side was slowing her stride as she rushed through the underbrush, only partly of her own accord as the blonde Savior’s hand was wrapped tightly around her wrist, pulling her along despite the burning of her lungs and the acid spreading through her legs.

“Emma, please. Stop. I can’t… I need…” She gasped, and Emma slowed, glancing fearfully behind her through the trees, knowing that they really did not have the time to pause—and Regina knew it too. Still, she doubled over as she gasped for breath, wishing she was in an equally good condition as her companion who was panting as well but who looked fighting fit regardless. 

It was one of the things Regina had always admired about Emma; her physical strength. Especially now, after a year of healthy meals, regular sleeping patterns, and zero night time stake-outs, Emma could outrun her easily, and if she had to, she could probably drag her out of these damned woods, even while she was still dressed in her New York garb—high heeled boots and all.

The pain in her lungs subsided enough for Regina to straighten, clutching her side as Emma regarded her with urgency. They had to move, Regina knew. They had to move or the Monkeys would get them—their hastily thought out attack plan had backfired majestically, and now, well, now they were in for a world of hurt. 

“Regina…” Emma warned, and Regina nodded, glancing behind them before pulling herself into another jog—less frantic this time but at least she was moving again. Emma caught up to her quickly, wrapping her fingers around her upper arm, and Regina once more marvelled at the contact. Suddenly being confronted with Henry as well as Emma had been quite the shock, but the way this Emma—the one who carried the fake memories Regina had implanted in her—was more trusting, more physical, would never cease to amaze her, nor stop making her heart clench painfully. 

It was a bad time to contemplate these things, but Regina indulged herself because it distracted her from the way her body screamed at her to stop moving. 

Two weeks ago now—or well, closer to a year and two weeks, but Regina had no memories of the year spent in the Enchanted Forest—Killian had brought Emma and her son back to Storybrooke, and neither remembered a thing. Seeing her almost-fiancé turn into a Flying Monkey, however, had convinced Emma of the truth and urgency of Killian’s claims when he had shown up, and now Emma at least was up-to-date with the happenings of Storybrooke. Once more, she had been shocked to find her parents in a little town in Maine, and found herself doubting the truth that she was, indeed, the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming. 

When Emma had turned to her to ask who she was, Regina had found herself at a loss for words, because what were they to each other? Enemies? Reluctant friends? Women who shared a son? Regina had sighed and remained quiet as Mary Margaret had told Emma about how she had actually given up her son and Regina had raised him until she had come to Storybrooke the first time. Emma had regarded her then—had examined her face to identify the emotions Regina had desperately tried to hide—and when Regina had escaped from the suddenly cramped apartment, Emma had followed her out, calling after her for her to stop.

Regina _had_ stopped, knowing that she always would if Emma told her to. Emma may not remember their emotional goodbye, but Regina still remembered how her heart shattered into pieces that would never glue together the right way again, and she had known in that moment that she was desperately in love with the blonde currently driving out of her life. How she hadn’t realized it earlier was beyond her, but she knew now—she knew and Emma returning to Storybrooke was the final nail to her coffin, even while it was her resurrection. Now, every time Emma laid eyes on her, Regina felt herself waver and every time Emma touched her, her heart soared. It was a painful state to be in and between her love for the blonde—who was surely not ready to be confronted by Regina’s feelings for her—and the pain over Henry not remembering she was his mother as well as Emma, Regina was having a hard time at it.

She had tried to focus on simply defeating the Wicked Witch, on keeping Emma and Henry safe, but the woman seemed to be one step ahead of her every single time, and now they had freed a full pack of Winged Monkeys instead of Rumplestiltskin and they were running for their lives.

This time, it was Emma who halted their progress as her expensive high-heeled boots finally proved insufficient running shoes. As she tripped over something on the uneven forest floor, her grip on Regina’s arm intensified, almost pulling the brunette down with her before Regina caught herself and halted Emma’s descent. Her quick reaction saved Emma a face full of dirt, and the blonde grinned up at her gratefully as Regina hoisted her back up, trying not to feel so very affected by a simple smile.

Regina was saved from making conversation by the screech of an enraged animal, and she caught Emma swallowing as she turned to face the music. Regina stood, too, lining up with her companion as she encased her hands in the only spell she could think of that would not kill the Monkeys but instead paralyzed them. The bluish haze that stretched between her hands drew Emma’s attention as she slipped her sword from the scabbard strapped to her back, and she shook her head in amusement.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get over how cool that is.” Emma commented, and sent her a sideways smirk that Regina once more fought to stop before it impacted her too badly. Emma was just making conversation, after all—she had no idea how Regina had started living for those smiles long before she had realized how she felt about the blonde Savior. 

“I’m nothing if not entertaining at parties.” She sassed, covering her aching heart, and the smirk turned into a grin.

“I bet you are…” Emma said with a note of something Regina couldn’t identify, but before she could ask after it, the flock of flying demons broke through the canopy and all hell broke loose. Emma drawing her sword looked good on paper, but since they had discovered the true nature of the Monkeys, she would not be able to use it, which left her standing nervously while Regina scanned the flock, trying to determine how to best capture all of them—or at least enough. 

“Regina…” Emma urged, but the brunette refused to be rushed—not even by Emma. If she missed even one, she put _both_ their lives in danger. A deep breath as the flock came closer, spreading out, then flinging themselves closer together in their clumsy flight. Again, and Regina found a pattern. She waited, exhaled, and stepped forward, forcing her hands out and sending the rapidly expanding cloud of magic out ahead of her to act as a net for their attackers. Miraculously—although Regina chalked her success up to brilliant planning on her part—she managed to capture all five of the Monkeys that had burst through the green, and they plummeted to the earth as one, crashing heavily into the top soil and shrieking their little heads off. 

Emma gasped for breath, her face mushing from fear to shock to amusement and joy in the span of a few seconds.

“Holy shit!” She gasped, and turned to Regina with wide eyes. “That was—“

Regina saw the Monkey come out of the undergrowth like a rocket, back legs in front of its body as it flapped to slow down enough to not topple over when it would grab at Emma’s back. Regina was moving before she had time to think, rushing forward to push Emma out of the way as the Monkey realized it wouldn’t have time to adjust either course or speed. It slammed into Regina with an angry cry even as she instinctively reached up with a hand and performed the only magic feat that came to mind. With a sickening crunch, the Monkey’s neck snapped like a twig and he fell down at her feet, a slight delay as its talons got caught on cloth—and skin—on the way down.

From the forest floor, Emma stared up at her in shock that quickly moulded into anger as she pulled herself up, hand to her side.

“Why did you do that?!” She spat angrily, and Regina turned her head to look at her, dragging her eyes up from the Monkey she hoped was not someone they knew.

“Do what?” She asked a little angrily as she glanced to the side to check on the mess of screeching Monkeys to her left before returning her eyes to the blonde. At least those bastards were still caught.

“Push me out of the way! You could have been killed!” Emma accused, stepping closer and reaching out to the brunette who stepped back on instinct alone.

“Let’s just say we’re even now.” Regina said coldly. Memories of the mine presented themselves to her—Emma reaching out to take part of the trigger’s energy onto herself, away from Regina—she had saved her life then… and now Regina had repaid her. It had nothing to do with the fact that she didn’t give a damn about dying herself, as long as Emma was alright.

Emma opened her mouth to respond, but then a frown came to her features and she looked down her body, lifting a hand that came away bloodied. 

“Regina?” She asked, and fell forward, crumpling into Regina’s arms who had stepped into her path instinctively. Lowering the Savior down to the ground frantically, Regina searched the blonde for injuries and found it: a single gash, deep and gushing blood. Looking around in a haze even as she pressed her hands down onto severed skin, Regina located the bloody sword lying in the dirt—the sword Emma had fallen onto when Regina had pushed her out of the way.

With a heart that was hammering in her throat, Regina’s mind refused to provide a solution to _this_ , this situation she didn’t know how to respond to. Dark blood welled up between her fingers and for long moments, she just sat, trying to wrap her mind around what was happening. For a second, she felt so young again, cradling Daniel’s cooling body in her arms, but then she remembered who she was and what she could do. 

The healing spell came to her easily, causing light to play between her fingers as muscle and tissue and skin reknitted. It took long moments in which Regina fought her despair, unable to face losing another person she loved with all her heart. Even the thought of Emma’s death petrified her to such an extent that her magic wavered—and so she pushed the thoughts out of the way. There would be time for a melt-down later, now she had to save Emma.

By the time she lifted her hands, they came away bloodied but revealed perfectly whole—abide stained—skin. With a trembling sigh, Regina sat up and took a deep breath, observing the blonde who was not moving. She was breathing, though—breathing and her heart pumped. Those were the important things—the things Regina clung to as she waited for a sign of life.

It was a quiet groan that tilted Regina’s world back on its proper axis; a single sigh that caused her to rush forward and gather the blonde onto her lap and into her arms, hugging her tightly to her chest as tears fell from her without permission. Relief washed over her so intensely that she was no longer in control of her own actions; she could only sit and gently rock Emma, who was alive—who was not Daniel. 

“Regina…?” The mumbled question came from the top of her breasts, and Regina suddenly realized what she was doing—became aware that she was intimately holding a woman who thought she was nothing but an acquaintance who had taken care of her son. Her first instinct was to drop Emma’s limp body to the forest floor, but that would not do. Instead, she tilted the blonde away from her chest, allowing green eyes to blink open and focus on her.

“What happened…” Emma asked, sliding her dangling arm up to take a hold of Regina’s as the brunette cradled her.

“You were injured—your sword it… it cut you when I pushed you out of the way. I am so sorry, Emma. I never meant—”

“’s okay.” Emma slurred with a happy smile. “Why am I not dead?” 

“Magic. I healed you.” Regina answered, smiling as she resisted the urge to hug Emma closer to her in her relief. She was still shaken to the core, unable to stop her body from shivering as she realized how close she had gotten to losing the blonde—again.

“Thanks… so… if I’m okay, then why are you crying?” Emma asked, and the hand that had been resting on Regina’s arm reached up higher to wipe at Regina’s cheek. Unable to stop herself, Regina leaned into the touch a moment, savouring Emma’s concern.

“Because…” There wasn’t a decent way to answer that question, Regina realized. 

“Because what…? What were we to each other, Regina? You wouldn’t tell me before, but I think I deserve to know.” Emma asked, resting her head trustingly on Regina’s other arm as she smiled with confidence. Fear shot through Regina’s system, but her gratitude of having Emma still in her life was too great.

“We weren’t… I… We could have been friends soon.” Regina started, and she could have left it at that, but green eyes were searching hers and her secret had been gnawing at her for so long now. “But what I wanted to be was more than that. Before you left… I realized I’m in love with you.”

It was so good to say the words, even though she was petrified of Emma’s reaction. The blonde, however, just smiled and nestled closer to Regina’s body.

“What about me?” Emma asked, and Regina sighed.

“I don’t know. You had to go, we didn’t… but we meant something to each other.” Regina answered, staring down into trusting green and finding nothing but acceptance. Emma’s smile widened but she was silent for long moments before she slid her hand further into Regina’s hair.

“Kiss me.” She told the brunette, who promptly lost the ability to think. 

“What?” She asked incredulously, again resisting the urge to drop Emma. She tried to pull her head up, but Emma refused to let her.

“Kiss me; I want to test a theory.” Emma answered with a grin, completely unimpressed by Regina’s panic. 

“What theory?” Regina questioned, and Emma rolled her eyes.

“Just kiss me, damn it!” Emma responded and pulled her down until Regina stopped fighting and sunk into an awkward kiss that never the less was like taking a breath of pure oxygen after almost suffocating—blissful but almost overwhelmingly so. Emma’s lips were soft and warm, the hand in her hair scratching her scalp softly, and Emma’s breath ghosted over her face as they came together again and again, lips parting to allow tongues to meet. Emma moaned softly and Regina pulled her tighter, ignoring the cramping in her back due to their awkward angle. 

The rush of magic that overtook them was unexpected, and Regina gasped as the felt it tear through her. Pulling back a little, she saw Emma blink in confusion, panic overtaking her features until she settled her eyes on Regina.

“Theory proven.” She whispered and tried to tug Regina down again.

“What theory?” Regina demanded, this time vehemently refusing to be pulled down. 

“That I loved you, too, and still do.” Emma whispered, tugging again, but again Regina resisted her.

“You remember?” She questioned, and Emma smirked. 

“Do I remember how I stood at that damned town line and saw you break down in front of me? Do I remember how I looked into your eyes and realized what an idiot I had been for running around like a headless chicken while I should have come home to you? Oh yeah, I remember all of that and much more. Now, Mayor Mills, kiss me or I’m getting up.” Emma said with confident amusement, although the underlying emotions were barely hidden by her tone. Regina observed her for a long moment, finding guardedness and doubt hidden in the green that had been so trusting just before their kiss. Yes, her Emma was back—for better or worse—but at least she wouldn’t have to face her demons alone. As Regina sunk into another kiss, she tightened her hold on the blonde still in her arms. She would never have to face any demon alone, not ever. Not anymore.


End file.
